By GARBA MUHAMMAD, Kaduna

One of the five who escaped after he and 17 others were kidnapped from Keke community in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State has narrated their ordeal and explained how he regained his freedom.

Engineer Usman Ibrahim said the kidnappers came into the community in the late hours of Monday evening, September 6, 2021, while it was raining and moved from one house to another, apprehending them.

Ibrahim said 18 of them, including women and children, were among the kidnapped but that five however escaped while being herded into the bush.

“I escaped by running into a rice farm, but three of his family members were taken away by the kidnappers,” Engineer Ibrahim said.

Another victim, Alkasim Sai’d, was said to be kidnapped along with two of his uncles.

One of the uncles is said to be the caretaker of Alkasim Sai’d’s poultry farm, while the second uncle was said to have come visiting a day before the incident.

The community members who decried the porous security arrangement said while the bandits were busy “harvesting” members of their community, they put calls through to all the necessary authorities and individuals all to no avail.

“A Police operation vehicle came the following morning long after the kidnappers were far gone,” Sa’id said.

Kaduna Police spokesman, ASP Mohammed Jalige, said in a press statement that the police are on the trail of the bandits and their victims.

The kidnappers are yet to contact any of the families to demand ransom.